Maisara's pov
Gossip Queen👸: Sure you don't need this purse?
Gossip Queen👸 sent a photo.
Angry bird🕊️: Would have gone if needed, no?
Gossip Queen👸: Point
Angry bird🕊️: Stop texting & let me work
Gossip Queen👸: Okk
Pressing the side button, I put the phone face down on the table and return my attention to my laptop. My eyes go to the right corner of the screen first and a sigh leaves my mouth. It's already this late and I'm nowhere near finishing this project. The deadline is tomorrow. Normally I don't keep the work until the last moment. But with everything going on, it somehow slipped out of my mind. I don't even know how that fucking happened because work is not something that I forget. But I did and here we are on the verge of pulling an all-nighter for the sake of the job.
I rub the bridge of my nose as a dull headache starts blooming in there. Not now, please. This is gonna be so much worse if I have to deal with a headache now. Maybe a hot coffee will help but I'm not entirely sure. Just for the sake of work, it might be worth trying.
Grabbing my phone, I get up from the chair and walk out of my office. As I open the door and step into the hallway, the emptiness of the office hits me. No one is in sight. Cubicles after cubicles are empty. The hallway isn't entirely dark. The corner lights are on which don't make the hallway that bright like usual but they surely scare away darkness. But if you look closely, you can see the darkness lurking around the corners where the light ends.
I am quite familiar with this environment. I know this place probably way better than my apartment, ex-apartment, I mean. After walking down this hallway and turning right, I will stop in front of the resting room where I have to make my coffee. Now if I think about it, that's one-
Thud!
I whip my head so quickly that my neck almost snaps. My eyes scan the empty cubicles quickly to find out the source of the noise and find nothing. It's the noise of something falling, like a pen or highlighter or something like that falling from a table. It would be almost inaudible if it was any other time. But the empty noiseless office amplifies the sound making it more horrifying than it actually is.
That's not my concern. My concern is how that thing ended up falling. All the windows are built shut due to air conditioning. So there is no chance that a gust of wind suddenly blows through the room and knocks down whatever it is. The air conditions are not in any position to do that either, I think.
The only way that's left for that thing to fall is if someone pushes it down. That is also impossible because I'm the only person left on the floor. Jeremy confirmed that before leaving when he insisted that I get out of here with him and I happily refused.
I decide to walk back down the hallway and keep an eye between the cubicles to see what's the thing that decided to make a suicide attempt. I know I sound like some stupid horror movie character who goes back to check what's wrong and dies. But the difference here is that this is real life and not some horror movie. I will not die if I go back to check what happened.
I turn around and start walking back in the direction of my office room keeping my eyes trained on the empty cubicles. It's not like I can see from here where the thing has dropped. But if someone is here, my eyes will catch them easily.
My footsteps come to a halt as the ridiculousness of the situation hits me. What am I even doing? That's a totally invalid thought. Who am I deceiving? I'm exactly thinking and acting like a scared horror movie character. I should just ignore it and go back to work. It's not like someone burged in here. Even if there is someone here, they can be simply another coworker. It's not-
Ting!
The sound almost makes me jump out of my skin making me realise how much I'm on the edge. I unlock my phone to check the notification all the while rubbing slow circles over my chest to calm down my rapid heartbeat.
It's a message from an unknown number that says, "Are we still doing tonight's reading session or are we canceling it?"
It takes me a half a minute to realize from whom this message is. My heartbeat starts accelerating again this time for an entirely different reason despite my effort to calm it down.
My eyes go to the left upper corner of the screen and I cringe. We agreed to meet on 7 and it's almost 8.30. I literally forgot to inform him. Seriously, I'm the worst possible person to hang out with.
I quickly type a reply that says, "Sorry to do this but I think we need to cancel it. I'm stuck at work."
His response comes almost instantly pulling a smile on my lips. "That's totally fine. Need any help? Need me to give you a ride or something? Just tell me, if you need anything."
"No, I don't need anything. Thanks though."
"You are still here, Miss Kamal? It's quite late."
My heart stops working fully at the sound of that haunting voice coming from behind me. What is he still doing here? I thought I was all alone. Is he the one who was making noises? Are we the only two people here now? That can't be because I'm pretty sure the guards are still down there working. I can call them for help if anything goes south, no?
I turn around slowly giving myself time to mask my shaky inward feelings. Surely, my eyes meet a pair of hazel ones, almost green under the office lights. Curiosity is lurking behind them mixed with a little bit of tiredness. His glasses are gone. The top button of his shirt is undone. He looks a little disheveled. Is that only because he is tired or is it something else?
My eyes dart around the surroundings once quickly before looking back to him, noting silently that his assistant is nowhere in sight and he's standing a little too close to me than necessary. It takes some effort to not check the exit as well. Because it's almost impossible to do so from this position without making it obvious to him.
"You are also working late, Mr. Carter," I comment, positioning my left heel a little back and shifting my weight on that one, gaining access of the view of the exit from the corner of my eyes. It's clear from here and will require not more than six or seven steps if I need to run.
"Work calls, I respond," he replies with a shrug pushing himself back to his full height. He was leaning down to my level this whole time. I shrug, shifting my right leg on the same position as my left one. "Likewise."
"That's good." He nods, pushing his hands into his pockets. "I like people who are dedicated to the work." More than necessary is the phrase that he doesn't say out loud but his tone gives it away. I don't bother saying anything in reply, just stand there and watch him in silence. After a second, he adds, "When are you leaving?"
I watch him more intently. He doesn't look dangerous from any angle. He definitely looks strong for his age, even alert maybe, but not dangerous. But I'm not dumb enough to believe that he's not actually dangerous just because he doesn't look so. It doesn't always require physical strength to be dangerous. Mind can be a pretty twisted weapon as well.
And then the question comes back to my mind again. How did he suddenly find a newfound interest in me out of nowhere if he meant no danger?
A soft ting sound of a new incoming notification comes out of my phone and I intentionally ignore it. Rather I decide to answer Oliver's question, "Planning to leave soon. What about you?"
"Likewise," he repeats my word from earlier and I realize how vague our word exchange has been. I wonder if he also talks to other people...employees that he 'befriends and is kind to' this vaguely or if it's just me. As for me, I'm not giving him a direct answer as far as I can. And definitely not when I'm alone with him.
"It's nice to find you here. I thought I was all alone in the office. Now if you'll excuse me, I would love to go back to my work," I say, trying not to rush the words in one breath and then turn around in the direction of my office, again trying my not to run away.
He doesn't say anything until I'm at the door of my office. When I open the door and place a foot inside the room, the words finally comes out of his mouth sending a chill down my spine. "No one is all alone in this office. Even when you can't see it, someone is always there with you."
I turn around staring at him with wide eyes. Seeing the look on my face, he clarifies with an amused look, "Guards."
It doesn't require me to be a genius to find out that he didn't mean guards in the first place.
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